Applying for a job and salary expectation on the resume

I'm applying for a job in Hong Kong for a well known organization and the job description says that I should send the resume with expected salary ...How do you I include the expected salary in the resume ? Any ideas ? My resume is broken up in a few sections such as Objective, Education, Work Experience, Hobbies etc. ...Should I create a new section called "expected salary" ?

I don't believe I would ever actually state an expected salary. I would include in my cover letter some sort of statement about expecting a salary in line with my previous experience and my expected responsibilities. If they want your abilities, they will need to talk to you in order to find out what you will cost them...

What the hell does that mean? I'm getting ready to retire from the Marines in two years and am starting to stress over this. I don't get the whole "compensation in line with experience and responsibilities" mumbo-jumbo that almost all job listings have. Is there a formula somewhere that I can plug in my education, experience, qualifications, certifications...and come out with a solid salary expectation?

My fear is that I'll go through the whole interview process for a job I know I'm qualified for and not find out till the very end that the company is only willing to pay a LOT less that what I expected. I'm sure every position has a ceiling on what the company is willing to pay. That should be known up front before the interview process begins...at least that's the way it should be.

To the OP, if they ask for specific salary information and you give them some gibberish about salary commensurate with experience or whatever, I think you will look wishy-washy. Give them what they ask for. You could send them your previous salary number and where you lived and say that you expect to maintain the same standard of living. Maybe you made $75K in Topeka, Kansas...that would be chump change in Hong Kong. You might need double or triple that to maintain your standard of living in that area.

Depending on the industry, average salaries for various positions are pretty easy to research online. Yes, it will vary from region to region, like federal civil servants gets bonuses for working in certain regions. Not every employer will use that language; some will post a salary range for the position, and you can use that in negotiations with employers who are more mysterious.

You can also complete the process you describe by converting 75K of Topeka dollars to San Francisco dollars, so to speak, by using cost-of-living comparisons that are REALLY easy to find online. Then you'll have an actual number to give a potential employer.

It means "negotiable". It is exactly mumbo-jumbo that just politely says you aren't willing to tell them a number right now but that they shouldn't expect to screw you with a low salary. If you give them a "minimum" number, you will quickly find out that it exactly matches the "maximum" that they can pay.

I'd say that you should never give a salary number in an initial application. How quickly you bring it up in discussions will depend on how big an issue you think it will be for them and how big an issue it is for you.

Remember that salary in civilian life often has nothing to do with ability or experience. It's frequently more about what you negotiated when you started out with the company. Especially when you are entering a new industry, make sure you get yourself slotted into a high level in their organization, based on your abilities and not on your former salary.
I've known several people who screwed this up and found that it became very difficult to change the initial perception of them from their first hiring process. It can result in being held in a job that is really too low for what you are actually capable of doing. Once you get slotted into their structure, it can be a lot of hard work to move up. This can even carry over with you if you switch to another company in the same business. Then it will be much harder to argue why you deserve a higher salary, since clearly you were willing to work for peanuts at the last place. The new company will then offer you only a small amount more.
Start out as high up as possible when you enter a new industry. It can shortcut years of hard work to show what you can do.

I am always hestitant to start throwing around numbers before the interview ... and, frankly, I'm usually suspicious of an employer that demands that I do so. I don't like negotiating with myself. Unless I happen to land on the right figure on the first shot, there are two possibilities -- (1) I undercut myself and offer less than they were willing to pay, or (2) I overshoot and put myself out of the running before the interview.

I will usually offer previous salaries on request, and put "negotiable" for current salary requirements.

Hi JB,
Putting "negotiable" for salary requirements and mentioning previous salaries on request are good ideas .
By the way - I have no reason to be "suspicious" of this employer since the organization is internationally reputed , globally known.
Thanks all for the advice !
What a great message board !

I agree with Star Gazer. I hate putting in salary requirements but some companies require it. I usually put what I was making at my last position then note that it is negotiable.

To Jarhead. Do not undervalue yourself. I know I have and I am shocked sometimes by what some companies will pay for certain positions. I have been out of work for awhile now but I am getting a lot of interviews and I know that I'll land on my feet, in a new job, making more than I was before. This extended "vacation" has sucked but I'll come out of it better than before.

I've spent my entire working life in the military on a fixed income based on time in service and rank (which is largely based on your time in the service). I make the exact same amount of money as every single person my same rank regardless of actual responsibility, qualifications, and ability. There are some small cost of living adjustments based on location, but nothing really significant. Anyway, I have a very solid resume and expect to earn significantly more than I do now. But my concern is getting all the way to the salary negotiation stage and finding out that the company is offering $40,000 less than what I expect. I am really looking forward to a place where I get paid and promoted based on performance, not based on how long I've been around. I don't think I'll have a problem finding a job, I just wish employers published salary ranges for specific jobs.

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